To avoid further scandal after the death of her elderly husband, the
Duke of Tremaine, Viola Cartwright sought refuge in her work at the
hospital she founded. When Florian Lowell has to treat his brother
Henry for the gunshot wound he suffered in a duel, Florian requests
Viola's assistance. Henry's reputation as a rake precedes him, and Viola
quickly understands why; Henry is a born seducer. But once bitten and
twice shy, Viola is bent on resisting him, although she likes him a lot.
However, the impending arrival of Robert, the new Duke of Tremaine,
steers Viola's attention away from Henry. She knows that Robert wants
to get his hands on the money she inherited and that he will do
everything in his power to get it.
Ever since the first book in this fabulous series, I always fear that the
newest installment couldn't possibly equal the previous one, and every
time I am elated to be so woefully wrong. THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS stands entirely on its own,
but reading THE ILLEGITIMATE
DUKE beforehand will greatly enhance your enjoyment. I cannot
fathom how Sophie Barnes manages to sustain such excitement, such
freshness with each installment, but she does and in grand style. Ms.
Barnes' exquisite attention to detail adds texture and substance to a
divine romance, where wooing and courting reign supreme. Ms. Barnes'
flowing and elegant prose, delightfully clever dialogues, superb
character development, and multiple jaw-dropping plot twists
contribute to making what I thought would be a great story a positively
enthralling one.
Viola had intrigued me since she had been introduced, I was dying for
her story, and it surpasses everything I had hoped for. How Viola and
Henry get close filled me with joy; THE
INFAMOUS DUCHESS is an incandescent slow burn that made this
reader deliriously happy. Henry's and Viola's interactions are so
ordinary, yet I was completely mesmerized because they are
meaningful and propel the story forward. Henry oozes charm, and I fell
in love with him much earlier than Viola did. He is utterly irresistible,
and I just melted at the fact that he was amenable in pursuing a
platonic friendship until she acknowledged her unmistakable attraction
to him. Sophie Barnes has again written characters so engaging and so
well matched that the romance nearly made me swoon!
Sophie Barnes' flair for creating the perfect atmosphere is
extraordinary. While we bask in the sunny glow of Henry's and Viola's
growing bond, the feeling of impending doom of Robert's black cloud
hovers above and makes you dread the moment disaster will strike. Oh,
the drama! Towards the end of the book, I was seriously worried that it
would not end well, but it is the very last chapter that just slayed me -
and please, please, do not peek! The glorious ending, the promise of
what awaits us; how will I ever make it until the next book! THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS , and each
book in the remarkable Diamonds in
the Rough are treasures that should grace every historical
romance reader's bookshelves.
Branded a money-hungry con artist for marrying the elderly
Duke of Tremaine days before his death, Viola Cartwright has
found refuge in her work at St. Agatha’s Hospital. No one
must know the painful reason behind her marriage. She steers
clear of attachments—until Henry Lowell, heir to the
Viscount Armswell, lands on her operating table after a
duel. Charming and wickedly handsome, Lowell is one of
London’s most inveterate scoundrels. Yet he may not be all
that he appears.
And the man who can promise a future filled with
love…
Posing as an unrepentant rake has helped Lowell avoid women
pursuing him only for his title. But now that duty has
finally called on him to marry, he finds himself entranced
by the mysterious, independent-minded Viola. Then her late
husband’s son returns from overseas, contesting Viola’s
inheritance. Lowell longs to help her and sets out to
convince Viola that a strategic union may be the best way to
save all she holds dear. But can he also persuade her to
take a chance on love…?
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